Highlights from the avathArikai (Introduction)

The swarUpam of emperumAn is sarvaswAmi (master of all others) and sarvaniyanthA (one who rules all others), whereas the swarUpam of jIvAthmA is dhAsathvam. Pertaining to this knowledge, the prApthi (right) of jIvAthmA (chEthanan – sentient) towards emperumAn is bhagavath kainkaryam. But the chEthanas take the wrong route of going away from this wonderful purushArththam (goal) due to the sambandham (relationship) with achith. On seeing this, to ensure that the chEthanas turn towards emperumAn, Iswaran first gave us sAsthram.

On seeing that giving sAsthrams also not helping, emperumAn did thiruvavathArams (incarnations) in leelA vibhUthi trying to establish dharmam and the required activities, by showing himself living in this world according to sAsthram. But even that effort was also in vain, as none of the samsAris turned towards emperumAn, rather all of them started saying that such thiruvavathArams are also one amongst us and not Iswara!! So, to correct samsAris emperumAn gave srI periyAzhwAr to this world.

If so, what is the glory of srI periyAzhwAr. Let us see that. This AzhwAr has natural dhAsathvam towards emperumAn. This can be understood by his own words “EzhAtkAlum pazhippilOm nAngaL” in thirupallANdu. Because of this, periyAzhwAr realized that emperumAn’s kainkaryam is this jIvAthmA’s deed to be done and found that krishNan, himself, went to srI mAlAkArar’s thirumALigai and took the garland from him. From then onwards, srI periyAzhwAr was doing pushpa kainkaryam to vatapathrasAyi emperumAn of srivillipuththUr.

But periyAzhwAr held bhagavath samruththi (mangalAsAsanam) as his purushArththam.

They took Iswaran as shelter to remove their fears

periyAzhwAr thought himself as shelter for Iswaran and always feared about what will happen to emperumAn

Similairly, thiruppallANdu is also much different from other dhivya prabandhams. This is even precious than thiruvAimozhi itself.

thiruvAimozhi had aruLichcheyal santhais (pAsurams) that proclaimed equivalence of thrimUrthis (brahmA-vishNu-rudhran); there is no such confusion in thirupallANdu

thiruvAimozhi is huge and bigger like mahAbhAratham; thiruppallANdu is much small like praNavam, but bigger in terms of the meanings it hols

In thirupallANdu,

In the first two pAsurams, AzhwAr does mangaLAsAsanam himself

In the next three pAsurams, AzhwAr calls bhagavath prApthikAmar (one who wishes to serve bhagavAn), kaivalyArththi (one who asks kaivalyam/self-enjoyment) & aiswaryArththi (one who asks for aiswaryam/wealth)

Next three pAsurams show that these people getting mingled with periyAzhwAr

Subsequent three pAsurams show that periyAzhwAr singing thiruppallANdu along with them